Why Does God Want Our Hearts Enlightened?
Epignosis is an experiential divine knowledge of God. This isn’t a cerebral experience with God. Instead, it affects your being. So how do we pray to have our heart eyes enlightened to the reality of God moving into our experience?
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15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[a] toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
What God Wants You to Know
The Apostle Paul begins our Scripture passage by declaring that he's praying for the Church or the Body of Christ. He's praying for things only God can do and describes what God wants the Body of Christ to know.
1) Revelation From the Holy Spirit
"…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you. The Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him." Ephesians 1:17 (ESV)
Paul informs the reader that he's praying for revelation from the Holy Spirit. That infers that only God can do what He's praying for the Church to experience.
Information is not enough. We need the revelation of God in our lives through not only Scripture but accompanied by the Holy Spirit's power, which he describes as the Spirit of wisdom.
Now let's pause to define wisdom, which is the correct application of knowledge and integration of revelation.
Paul is praying that the Spirit of God will do a work under the headship of Jesus Christ in the Church. We need a revelation of the Holy Spirit.
2) Heart Eyes Enlightened
"…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." Ephesians 1:18 (ESV)
In addition, God wants you to know you need your heart eyes enlightened. This is connected to prayer. Paul is praying this because it can't be done on natural strength.
The Greek word epignosis means a divine knowledge of God, experiential knowledge of God.
This knowledge gets into your heart and isn't something you merely experience cerebrally; instead, it affects your being. So Paul is praying that our heart eyes would be enlightened in a way that the reality of God gets into our experience.
Epignosis in Real Life
Years ago, when I was leading a youth group, a teenager named Billy came frequently. He was a bright kid but a bit of a clown. He loved to cut up and be a distraction during very serious moments of Bible study. He would make unruly noises to get the other kids to laugh.
One Friday night my phone rang and it was Billy pleading for me to come to his home. So I jumped in my car, and when I got there, I saw his father in handcuffs and his mother severely beaten. Suddenly, I understood why Billy was a clown. His heart was crying out, asking, "Does anyone love and notice me?"
Billy had no church background and was only coming because another student had reached out to him. He was a budding intellectual with no faith in Jesus or orientation around Christianity. After that night, our church began to pray for Billy and his family.
A few months later, Billy called me again and asked me to meet him at the church. I found him sitting alone in the sanctuary, so I sat next to him and asked what was happening.
"Paul, I've seen Jesus," he said.
Remember, Billy loved to cut up, so I asked him to explain his meaning. Despite serving in ministry, I tried to explain that I've never seen Jesus.
"No, Paul, you don't understand. It's what we sang this morning."
He opened an old hymnal, pointed out the song, "I Serve A Risen Savior," and began reading the lyrics. It was unlike any other time I'd ever heard the words before. As he read them aloud, I realized this was all new to him.
"He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You may ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart."
As he finished reading those lyrics, he looked at me and tried explaining it as if I wasn't a Christian. He tried to convince me of God's realness.
"Don't you get it? I haven't seen him with my eyes; I've seen Him with my heart," he said.
That's what our text shows us; an experiential knowledge. My church family prayed Billy would have his heart eyes enlightened, and it's the very thing that the Apostle Paul is describing. But he's also praying for the Body of Christ as the head. [READ MORE: Jesus is Head of the Church].
Why Does God Want Our Hearts Enlightened?
1) To Know the Hope He Has Called Us To
Romans 10 tells us that it's not God's desire for anyone to perish; that's not His heart. Instead, God wants to draw you into Himself and His saving power through the person of Jesus Christ.
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath." Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)
This passage tells us that we were dead in our trespasses and sin, and because of that, we're separated from God; thus, we are dead to the reality of God. One pastor said, "When you're apart from God, you're not merely in the doghouse; you're dead." But what does that mean you're dead to?
reading your Bible
praying
relating to God
desiring God
honoring God
This passage is why John Wesley required every Methodist Christian when entering into a society to answer: Do you desire to flee the coming wrath and be saved from your sins?
He asked that question because the Church of England was baptized in death orthodoxy. That's in addition to rationalism which postured many in the church to elevate their thinking over the revelation of God. But that was not new; that mentality goes back to the Garden of Eden. "Did God really say…"
But when we finish the passage in Scripture, we see a version of mercy that we don't deserve.
"But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)
It's by God's grace you're saved. You can't earn it, and no amount of good will outweigh the bad. The good news is you can turn to Christ in surrender and be saved from God's judgment and wrath. Then you can be delivered into a new life in Christ because you've had your heart's eyes awakened. That's why Paul is praying that the Church, the Body of Christ, would be awakened to this truth.
2) To Know the Riches of His Glorious Inheritance
"…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." Ephesians 1:18 (ESV)
Billy Graham was once asked, "Other than salvation, what's the most important thing you want to impart to humanity?" His answer was the brevity of life, because Scripture tells us that life is a vapor. For many of us, events that happened a decade ago feel like they were just yesterday. We can all agree that life moves in the blink of an eye.
We are God's inheritance. God wants you to know the wealth and richness of what it means to be God's inheritance. He invites us into the elevation of the reality of eternity. We all face certain impending death. We have the reality of salvation in the person of Jesus Christ, but we also have access to our glorious inheritance.
The concept of “eternity” as a forever space is challenging to comprehend. It extends forever and even beyond that.
Scripture describes that one day, for the person whose heart has been enlightened and birthed into the person of Christ will enter eternity and know the peace of God, unlike anything we've ever experienced. You will be unencumbered by sin and in the entire presence of our Creator. It will be a place of riches of our glorious inheritance.
We must appreciate the value God places on us as part of his inheritance. Of course, we cannot begin to name all the riches of being God's people. But let us consider a few rich blessings.
Being in God's family means seeing Jesus face to face.
It means that we will be in the presence of God.
It means that we will be in the comfort of God.
It means that we will be joined with the disciples of Jesus who have gone on before us.
It means rest from our labors.
It means every pain in this life will be resolved.
It means seeing the reward of all we have been striving toward.
Being the people of God has no end to its vast wealth and blessings to us.
We are valuable to God because he purchased us to inherit us.
We look for Christ's return when he comes to get his saints. God doesn't need us; He wants us.
3) To Know the Immeasurable Greatness of God's Power Toward Those Who Believe
"…and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might, that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." Ephesians 1:19-20 (ESV)
What is the immeasurable power of God? There is no mathematical calculation that can sum up His power. It's also personal because this immeasurable greatness is for those who believe.
From this passage, we see two examples of God's immeasurable power when in Christ: God raised Jesus from the dead (resurrection power) and seated Him at the right hand in heaven (ascension power).
What is resurrection power?*
*in the words of Jonathan Romig
Resurrection power is believing God can save my family members, coworkers, and friends no matter how far from God they seem.
Believing God can give me the hope I need to keep going in depression.
Believing God can heal communities broken by gang violence or police brutality.
Believing God can save my loveless marriage after an affair.
Believing God can rescue me from my addiction to drugs, alcohol, and sex.
Believing God will one day raise me from the grave.
If our heavenly Father can raise Jesus from the grave, is there anything he can't do?
What is ascension power?
Ascension power is believing Jesus is ruling supreme over all reality on the throne.
Believing Jesus is bigger than your scariest demons or nightmares.
Recognizing I don't have to be afraid of our government or a controlling family member or boss because Jesus is on the very top.
Believing God can save a nation and world torn apart by partisanship.
Trusting the church and its ministry to Christ because it's his body.
Knowing my future is secure because Jesus has it in the palm of his hands.
Fight For Your Enlightened Heart
Fight for your heart by opening the Scripture and letting God speak to you. Fight for God to enlighten your heart and to grow in Christ's grace. Fight for your heart to be filled by the Spirit of God. Resurrection power and ascension power and power in prayer. These heavenly powers come through surrender to the Head, Jesus Christ. He's worthy of your surrender.
TL;DR
What God Wants You To Know
Revelation From the Holy Spirit
Heart Eyes Enlightened
Epignosis: a divine knowledge of God, experiential knowledge of God.
Why Does God Want Our Hearts Enlightened?
To know the hope He has called us to
To know the riches of His glorious inheritance
To know the immeasurable greatness of God's power toward those who believe
What is resurrection power?
What is ascension power?
Related Reading
Jesus is Head of the Church by Rev. Paul Lawler
What is the Church by Rev. Paul Lawler
Discovering Goodness and Mercy for Your Lifeby Rev. Paul Lawler
About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services
